Tin Foil Nightstand.

Yes ladies, you read that correctly. When I told my MIL and BFF in one what I was up to she said “Your brain must never shut off!” I think that’s a compliment, right? Right?1!?

So you know how metallic accent pieces are all the rage? I really like them, like really really like them. My only problem is that I don’t like when they look like metallic paint. Its too faux for me. So on the restricted budget that I have this week I got an idea using stuff I had in my casa.

Crappy hand me down nightstand, modpodge and tin foil.

I started on the side and lightly wrinkled a piece of foil. I applied a coat of mod podge to the nightstand and put the shiny side of the foil down. I smoothed it down CAREFULLY with a popcicle stick and applied a coat of mod podge to the top of it, and moved on to the next section.

(Just make sure that the ends of the foil are flat.) I didn’t have too many seams except on the top. There was no way that I could have covered it with one piece. I ended up layering it so it looked kind of like silver leafing. I loved it so much I ended up just putting random pieces all over so that it had variation to it.

This is what she looked like when all the foil was on. Basically a nightstand wrapped in tin foil. At this point I was kind of wary because I have never seen this done before and I had zero idea what it was going to turn out like.

Just to make sure that the nightstand was scratch resistant I put another layer of modpodge on the whole piece.

Then I busted out the secret weapons.

The steel paint was awesome. I painted it on and rubbed it off really quickly. It changed the color of the piece but because I rubbed it off it gave it alot of variation. Next came my best friend. Ralph Lauren Faux Glaze in Black Silk. I put this just on and rubbed it off. I concentrated on the edges and places that had detail, like the drawer. And here she is all finished….

Is it bad to want to marry a piece of furniture?

Total cost of this treasure:

Pretty much free because I had everything on hand.

UPDATE: I have had a bunch of questions about the steel paint. I got it at Robert’s Crafts. The brand is Modern Options Sophisticated Finishes and the finish is Steel. I think it was about $5.00 with a 40% off coupon.
They had a bunch of other finishes so if anyone has used them let me know because I am interested if they are all as good as this one.
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I have to say that at first, I wasn’t diggin’ it, but then I saw the finished piece, after the glaze, and it took my breath away! It looks sooo good. What makes it even better is that it was basically free. Awesome re-do!

I’ll be honest, when I read the post title, I was skeptical. Then I saw the beginning of the “foiling” and I was nervous. Then I looked at the finished result, and I almost peed my pants. It looks awesome!! I’ll never doubt you again!! ;D

No it’s not bad to want to marry furniture. I have two chairs I’d like to marry…is that considered polygamy? I love how this turned out. It looks freakin’ awesome. I had been toying with the idea of foiling a huge mirror I have. I think you’ve inspired me to give her a go.

Love, love, love this! By the way, did I say that I love this!. In fact, I love it so much I’m going to copy, copy, copy, this on a piece of old furniture (actually an old high-boy/buffet)that I’ve shortened the legs on to ‘act’ as a sofa table. It has been sitting for quite a few years with me wondering how I wanted to finish it. Eureka! I hope you don’t mind copycats, Mandi. This is stunning. I just hope mine comes out just as exquisite. I’m also seriously interested in that steel paint. Thanks for the great idea.

It cracks me up that you stopped over and saw my dresser revamp… I spent a good chunk of my afternoon yesterday OOGLING over your tin foil nightstand!! I got pulled away before I could comment, but I will now: IN-CRED-I-BLE! Great job! Glad to have a new friend (I’m your newest follower!) and thanks for visiting over at Ten June!

Wonderful, wonderful and absolutely beautiful and gorgeous! I’ve been toying with the idea of doing something similar but it’s always great when someone else does it first so you can see how it turns out Only your results are so great I wish I had been first Is there any chance you can put up some more pics of the piece, different angles and lights etc? I would like to see much more of it, I may want to marry it myself Excellent job!

woops! Just fell on the floor from amazement! Back up now and have to say that technique might be the most fearless thing I’ve seen done to a piece of furniture! The end result is amazing! Going to be attempting that idea real soon. Thanks for sharing!

OH MY GOSH – Tin Foil? Really? Tin foil – who would have thought! This turned out totally awesome and so dang cute/cool! I am featuring it on my blog tomorrow for my friday favorites because I just love it that much! tin foil…..

Love this. Almost reminds me of mercury glass a little. love the Sophisticated Finishes paint, too. I got “pewter” crazy with a few things and posted about it a couple of weeks ago. Found you at the DIY Club.

I think this turned out pretty amazing. I have a french chest that I have been thinking I would silver leaf but looks like using tin foil turns out wonderful. I might have to consider that. Thanks for the tutorial.

I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I linked to this post today from the new Home & Garden channel at Craft Gossip. My hope is to share many of the fabulous projects I see everyday with the vast CG audience. I hope you will not only stop by and subscribe to CG, but will tell your friends about the new category! Hope you see some traffic from it!

I put off looking at this post that was sent to me thinking yea, yea, yea, tinfoil. humph, gonna be trashy looking. But I have to say what a fantastic piece of furniture. I think it’s beautiful. Now where’s the tin foil, LOL…….

Looks super cool, but I’m surprised that the same person who would undertake a project like this would post such horribly out of focus pics. I was hoping just one of the “after” pictures would be sharp, but alas…

Honestly, I think its beautiful, and if I didn’t? Guess what? I wouldn’t have left a comment at all, because if its not my cup o’ tea, then I would just move on instead of being rude for absolutely no reason!

Wow, I love how it gives off an aura of antiquity just by using a tin foil as a skin for the nightstand, and it makes me remember how I love my medieval-style interior design. In my living/bar room, I placed some hand forged iron sconces as a form of lighting and hand forged iron tables for my guests to place their food or drinks at.

I did this to the inner section of my kitchen cupboards as they are outlined with a molding. I got the idea from Trading Spaces when I seen Hildy doing that to a ceiling lol. I never thought to use it on a end table or anything. That is so darn clever. I am definitely going to give that a try. In fact maybe for my bedroom. Thanks for the clever idea! Its gorgeous!

I know your sister Amy. I found your blog through her facebook.. And now I am utterly in love with your blog and your creativity! You have such awesome ideas and are so inspiring! I have so many things that I want to try out because of your blog! So thank you

WOW!!! I know you came and commented on mine tinfoil dresser but I never knew you did it also until a kind lady told me to come take a gander and I did. I seen it was featured on Remodelaholic and I linked over to see it was yours. Yours turned out great! Isn’t tinfoil fun?!!! lol. You are super duper talented! We really do have design ESPN! hahah…love it girl! Great job.

You inspired me to mod podge tin foil on the two Pottery Barn formica-ish chairs in my art studio! They were striped laminated paper…now they are the coolest soft silver (tin foil). My teenagers think it is the coolest thing! Everyone loves them. thank you so much for posting your project!

I’m tryin to do this to my two ikea lack tables. the first layer stayed on very well, but when trying to layer the foil over foil the egdes won’t stay down. Do you know what can be done so this doesn’t happen?

I’ve experimented with tin foil on a couple of things, but it always seems to scratch off easily. Does your nightstand have a good durable finish? If so, how did you achieve it? By the way, I want to marry it too!!

Holy crap. That’s all I can say right now because I’m speechless. Thank you for posting this. I’m going to show it to my husband so he’ll stop telling me I’m crazy for wanting to do something with tinfoil. I KNEW it had huge potential! You are genius!

I’m starting my second nightstand and I was frustrated about having to deal with the nod podge and the sliding again so I bought elmer’s spray adhesive. GENIUS!!! I was able to cover the entire nightstand in like 20 minutes!!!

I love, love, love your tin foil nightstand. So much that I decided to try it on my own nighstand…but I had a bit of a DIY disaster. When I used watered down paint to darken the foil, the edges kept coming up as I wiped it off. Did you have this problem?? Thanks! Love your blog!

This reminds me of my countertops, only yours is so much cooler. We bought house with this green marble laminate countertops. Gross. I didn’t want to change them, since I really want new kitchen one of these days, so I decided to change them into white marble using, that sticky lining for the kitchen cabinets. Looks good unless you really pay attention to details and cost about $3.50.

This is amazing. I am completely useless at doing stuff but I have now tagged 3 projects that I am absolutely going to try.

Beyond that I am obsessed with silver leaf..but not just any silver leaf look..but that ancient looking glowy not shiny silver leaf.I’ve been waiting to get a new contract before I actually buy silver leaf. Now I can do it with foil and other stuff I have. I will subscribe to your blog. First time ever.

Unbelievable! I need to hang out with brilliant talented, aka crazy, minds like yourself! My head is reeling with what I could tin foil!!! I’m off to find your RSS button (I do hope you have one) because I want to see more, more, more of your crazy adventures in decorating! And I’m definitely pinning this! Smiles, Lesli

I love this idea, can’t tell you in words what I think of your brilliance with crafty art. I am awaiting my buddhist altar piece today and plan on using this idea to finish it. I will post pictures for you later!

I did the foil to a dreeser that was left here in the home we purchased. The dresser was painted all black. Just to bland for me. I did only the drawers in foil. After that I took red water base paint and wiped it on and off the red paint when in the grooves of the foil. Then purchased ( clearence of course) chrome handles for it . It turned out great. Gives a little extra spark in my sewing area. Total cost 5 dollars for handles everything else had . Now I have a one of a kind dresser. thanks for all the ideas.

As a disabled senior citizen, I absolutely LOVE this idea — AND — it’s something I can still do within my physical limitations! I have a wooden jewelry box bought at Goodwill that will be my first project for my precious Princess grand-daughter. She’s a little Diva at 4 years old and will love it! Kathie in MN

I adore you nightstand! Several years ago I was decorating my windowless attic bathroom, very much on a budget. I got the idea to tin foil the ceiling. I crinkled squares of tin foil and glued it to the ceiling, covering the entire room. After adding mirrors and new lights, the room seems larger and much brighter. I’ll have to look for another place to try out the tin foil affect.

thank you for sharing. I use modern options blackened bronze as my “secret weapon” to transform wood, plastic, leather, anything into a blackened bronze iron looking piece. It transforms old brass…anything! I first paint a brown undercoat if the item need a base, and then use the finish. I apply with a rag to I can wipe and get the right effect without too much of the metallics coming through. So love the new ideas!!

Like everyone else, I was skeptical and amazed. I was looking at your blog because I’m looking for a way to emboss foil with a Moroccan design and place it on the drawers of an old chest of drawers that I bought today and finish it. You certainly demonstrated a wonderful solution, here.

I had to laugh at the opening statements! Does this mean that other peoples’ brains DO shut off?
I’m seriously glad to be in your camp, and say that mine doesn’t. I mean… how can it?

I luuuurve this piece, even so long after, it hasn’t dated in my eyes at all. Lucky you.
I have covered all my picture frames in foil, and now all the varying designs look ‘unified’ and ‘on purpose’. Yay, Foil!

[…] I feel like this thing has so much character and I don’t even mind that it’s wicker, mostly because I’m going to paint and modernize it! It took me a while to figure out how I wanted it but after doing my weekend browsing of the Apartment Therapy website I found this cool foiling technique done by a fellow DIYer at the Vintage Revivals Blog. Check out the article here. […]